Quote For The Day

-”Give your husband a hug from me,” – Michelle Obama, to a gay man married in California.

Keep It Simple

-Hello and good morning.  Welcome to our blog … we are Steve (36) and Warren (62) from northern Minnesota – USA – and we’d like to welcome you to our daily thoughts on our lives together.

We’re glad you stopped by this morning.

-Taking a look out in the back yard this morning, it is foggy and wet outside.  We’ve got mostly cloudy skies and 54 degrees.

The weather service is saying that our forecast for today is:  Decreasing clouds. Areas of fog early in the morning. Highs 80 to 85. West wind around 5 mph becoming southwest in the late morning and afternoon.

Ewww, if the temperature gets up that high – it’s going to be a thick and very humid day.  Ish!  Let’s hope those west winds blow in some less humid air.

-The heat index in Hennepin and Ramsey counties which make up Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minneota is expected to reach 95 by late this morning and rise as high as 100 to 105 degrees this afternoon.  Temperatures that are certainly no safe for human beings or livestock.

-Yesterday was a pretty quiet day for me, as I just did a few things around the house and took a walk when Steve got home last evening.  Steve on the other hand was up to his “nuts” in telephone calls, and other related business matters.

His day was so busy, that by the time he was driving home and talking to me on the phone – he was stressed out!  Well, that makes sense considering the average human being is only capable of doing a few things at a time – say nothing of having work thrown at you left and right all day long.

We had some salmon left from Sunday evening … so I heated up a couple pieces and Steve had one and I had the other for my supper meal.  I continue to diet and watch my food intake … very very carefully.  Yesterday I was so good, that if I was a “kid” – I should have gotten a big gold star for being a good boy and not eating any bad foods at all.

-Last night we watched … Raising The Bar – a gripping series that follows the lives of young lawyers who work on opposite sides, the public defender’s office and the district attorney’s office, as well as those who sit in judgment on their cases.

What I think Steve and I like most about the program – is that it is so “real”.  The lives of these people are portrayed in a “real moment” and so remind me of the events that would surround anytown USA’s court room drama on a daily basis.

The show is on TNT, and if you have not seen it – by all means check it out ~ soon!  You’ll love it and there is a host of “gay characters” of some sort in a lot of the episodes.

-I’ve been really trying the past few days to keep my life as simple and basic as is humanly possible.

Yes, I am really working on making my life simple. I noticed how I tend to stress out things I have to do every day and about being alone from time to time.  That I love to make these tasks and events more work than they need to be.

I noticed this earlier last week when I was helping a relative of mine, with a project and things kept coming up that involved more and more work – how it bugged me.  But then I realized, it just has to be.

I recognize this behavior because I am the same type of person as many others people – I want to get the job done, quickly, efficiently and with the least amount of problems and stress. Being an average guy, I am excited about all the possibilities and enjoy growing and growing new ideas. But, I have learned that kind of thinking and taking on more and more tasks does become overwhelming and ends up stressing me out – more than I need to be.

So I am making this simple new rule in my life at age 62 and here it is. My life is going to be simple, my daily routines are going to be simple and even my blogging here in the morning is going to be simple. Our blog, won’t be quite that simple because I am chatty kind of guy.

I also apply this to my whole life, starting today. I am cutting down on “stuff” around my house, and with relatives and friends.  Hey, I’ve done my stint of doing this and that and everything else.  I am working on me now, because I working on other people’s things and project and life – so I am making it simple to maintain myself by not taking on any more tasks than I can handle at one time.  So my life will start today going from a task I want to put off to a task I can handle and better yet – just plain enjoy.  After all, at my age why in the heck should I pick tasks I don’t enjoy?

Living simple doesn’t mean I can not have the new “this or that” whatever it is that I want.  It just means, I do not need to over do, over work, over worry or over plan.  Hey, I just need to keep it simple ~ as the saying goes.

-Steve is back in his office this morning … for another day of fun filled work and enjoyment – which equals $$$ at the end of every two week period.  I on the other hand, do have to drive into Duluth this morning and get my oil changed in the car at the dealership.  I have a 10:30 a.m.appointment – so if all works out for me – I might be able to swing by Steve’s office (not sure if we will go for lunch or not, as I need to watch my food intake) and see him.

After that … well, I’ll be driving back home for the balance of the afternoon – which will be alone.  Tonight, Steve has softball – so I won’t see him until probably 10:00 p.m. at the latest … as I’m not exactly sure of what time his team plays tonight.

-In good news … U. S. Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut, has changed his position on gay marriage, announcing over the weekend that he now supports it.

Mr. Dodd, who finds himself in a tough fight for reelection next year, had already backed civil unions, but had rejected endorsing gay marriage during his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008.

His reversal comes on the heels of growing upset among gay activists toward President Obama and his administration, many of whom called the president’s decision last week to extend partnership benefits extension as a minor move.

-Popular Los Angeles mayor and marriage equality supporter Antonio Villaraigosa announced on television Monday that he would not be running for California governor in 2010. Villaraigosa’s name had been tossed in the ring months ago as a likely candidate.

-Seventy-seven Congressional members led by Democratic Representative Alcee Hastings of Florida sent a letter to President Barack Obama Monday urging him to take immediate action to stop the investigations of “don’t ask, don’t tell” violations. The letter does not call for an executive order halting discharges but rather a change in how the policy is implemented within the Department of Defense.

-I think all of us have had that conversation with our inner being that we were finally going to create change in our lives. We promise ourselves starting Monday we will:

• Stop drinking as much
• Stop hooking up
• Stop using drugs
• Stop cheating on your partner
• Stop eating
• Stop spending so much time on the computer
• Stop looking at so much porn
• Stop watching so much TV
• Stop this or that – or whatever it is that you guys might do

The list can go on and on of all the items we promise ourselves we will do on our fresh start but for some darn reason, if your like me – I fall right back into our old habits. We deal with our own disappointment of ourselves and then either say the hell with it or decide to start fresh again next Monday.

I promised myself on the 11th of June that I would start dieting and watching what I ate and how much I ate … and by the grace of God – I feel like I am accomplishing that tasks for my own health. I wanted to eat better and really increase that dreaded word, “exercise”.

I know we need to take care of ourselves and the earlier in life that we do it the better.  For most of my life, I’ve done good but I know this is the only body I have so I need to invest in its health – even at age 62.  I know all the benefits of even small amounts of exercise done on a daily basis – such as even just walking but I just love the couch, some chips and a good episode of television better than going for a walk.

Here are my 4 words (which are self explanatory) on how to be successful through my new initiative to a better life:

1. Commitment
2. Action
3. It’s all about ME
4. Celebrate – the milestones of better health or weight loss with common sense celebration

Just find a way to celebrate that supports your goals but lets you enjoy the journey your on

I am committed to my health and adding some movement to my life.

How about you?

-Steve is up and in the shower and it’s time for me to get my breakfast … for the day.

See you tomorrow.